GKIDS, celebrating its 15th anniversary as a producer and distributor of award-winning and artist-driven animation from around the world, announced today it has acquired all North American distribution rights for the music drama anime Blue Giant. The film is directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa, whose credits include directing the mega-hit anime series Mob Psycho 100, as well as the cult hit series Death Parade, DECA-DENCE, and the latest film in the blockbuster Detective Conan franchise, Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine.
Blue Giant is adapted from the internationally-renowned manga of the same name, written by manga artist Shinichi Ishizuka. The series won the Japan Media Arts Festival Award and the Shogakukan Manga Award and was nominated for the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize and as “Comic of the Year” at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. NUMBER 8, the editor of the original manga, joined the film production to write the script.
The film follows the story of Dai Miyamoto, a former high school basketball player who discovers a love of jazz and dedicates himself to learning the saxophone. He leaves his town for the clubs of Tokyo, determined to become the best saxophone player in the world, but he soon discovers the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart.
World-renowned virtuoso pianist Hiromi Uehara composed the in-story original music played by Miyamoto and his jazz trio JASS and additionally plays for the character Yukinori Sawabe. Drummer Shun Ishikawa of the global hit band Millennium Parade and saxophonist Tomoaki Baba join Hiromi Uehara in playing for the characters Shunji Tamada and Dai Miyamoto, respectively.
Blue Giant opened domestically in Japan on February 17th and earned over 1 billion yen (approx. $7.5 million) at the Japanese box office throughout its run in Japanese theaters. The film will play as a sneak preview screening at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before GKIDS releases Blue Giant in North American theaters later this year. The all-rights North American distribution deal was negotiated between GKIDS and TOHO CO., LTD.
“Blue Giant is a thrilling and moving exploration of what it takes to pursue true artistic and creative excellence,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “We are proud to share this special film that captures the spirit of the beloved manga for a new audience, with one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in years.”
